Thanks to the ever waistcoated Charlie Foreman for the heads-up on this important bit of news. Our stretch of the canal will be cleaned up between February & March 2009. This is brilliant news for the Coracle racers who keep capsizing - and have to wade through the sludge back to the Eton Rowing Club house - each year!!
Hello
British Waterways, working with the Environment Agency and the Olympic Delivery Authority, is undertaking a programme of dredging on the River Lee Navigation to help improve water quality, and access for barges in and around the Olympic Park.
Local residents, boaters, businesses and clubs have all been made aware of the programme via letter and meetings.
Please find attached a copy of the letter sent to local residents. If you require any further information please do let me know.
Kind regards
Gill
Gill Owen
Communications Manager
T 020 7985 7227
mb 07733 124580
1 Sheldon Square
Paddington Central
London W2 6TT
Dear Local Resident
Improving Water Quality on the River Lee Navigation
Water quality on the River Lee Navigation has been an issue of concern for many years, affecting local residents, wildlife, boaters and other waterway users.
Now a number of organisations are working together to improve the water quality of the river.
This will be a long-term programme of works to help deliver a clean, green and active waterway.
The first step in this clean-up programme is a c.£5million programme of dredging and bridge protection works. The Environment Agency is funding the removal of up to 16,000m3 of silt from the River Lee Navigation, from Tottenham Lock downstream to Old Ford Lock, whilst the Olympic Delivery Authority is funding the dredging works that will open up the waterways in and around the Olympic Park, first for freight barges, and in legacy for leisure use.
The works will take place between February and May 2009. The dredging barges will remove big obstructions first, such as car parts and trolleys that have been dumped in the waterway, before removing silt from the river bed.
The dredging of the polluted sediments will gradually help improve the water quality of the river, which in turn will encourage wildlife to return to the area, enable boats to travel more easily along the river and improve the appearance and even the odour of the waterway.
British Waterways will be managing the dredging programme, and is talking to hundreds of users and neighbours of the River Lee Navigation to ensure that people are made aware of the planned works and any minor disruption which may affect users.
If you need any further information about the dredging programme please call British Waterways London T: 020 7985 7200. If you would like to report any dumping of rubbish or illegal fly-tipping along the River Lee Navigation please call the Environment Agency T: 0800 80 70 60.
Yours faithfully
Simon Bamford, General Manager, British Waterways London
3 comments:
HAHAHA!!
You were the only one to take a swim in MY race dude!
Remember how hot it was that day - I'm almost convinced that you did it just to cool down!!
Anyway - thanks to Charlie for this info. See Sóna - he really IS a good guy!! I know you need to be wary of these council people - but Charlie & me go way back - he's one of us mate!
Pete
This has proved to be yet more Olympic hot air.
The dredging has been abandoned after the project used up all the available funds - only small areas were done, north of Lea Bridge.
And apart from driving away all the breeding waterbirds it doesn't seem to have made a jot of difference!
indeed, the stink is just as bad, the water is now solidly black and the poisons and toxins that had been at least partly submerged are now more freely flowing. i wouldn't be doing any eskimo rolls...
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